THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
In the early morning hours of April 28, 1944 hundreds of American soldiers and sailors died in Exercise Tiger, a rehearsal for D-Day held in Devon, England. 639 were killed, more than on Utah Beach during the invasion.
On the 80th anniversary of the tragedy, a commemorative service will be held at the memorial to the servicemen who died: an amphibious Sherman tank that had fallen into the sea and plunged to the bottom during the exercise. The service is open to all, and Americans are invited to attend. See below for details.
Exercise Tiger was the Allies’ most deadly training incident in the whole of World War II. The area, Start Bay, was selected due to its similarity with the Normandy coast, and Slapton Sands was considered ideal to simulate landings that the troops would make on Utah Beach as part of Operation Overlord on June 6, 1944.
In the early morning hours of April 28, eight Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs), full of American servicemen and military equipment convened in Lyme Bay and made their way towards Slapton Sands. A squadron of four German E-Boats, which had been alerted by heavy radio traffic in Lyme Bay, intercepted the three-mile long convoy of US vessels. The heavily laden, slow moving LST’s were easy targets for the torpedo boats which first attacked the unprotected rear of the convoy. Three LST were hit by German torpedoes. A British Royal Navy destroyer, assigned as an escort to the convoy, was missing having been ordered into port for repairs.
Some American personnel died from their injuries, some caused by their life jackets being incorrectly worn, others from hypothermia caused by the extreme cold of the sea. The soldiers and sailors who survived were ordered not to speak about the incident, on pain of court martial, and many did not talk about it until 50 or more years later.
Exercise Tiger remained a secret until a local man, the late Ken Small, was told about an object that was resting on the sea bed three-quarters of a mile out from the shore. This turned out to be a US Army Sherman Tank. After negotiations over several years, he bought it from the US Government for $50, finally recovering it from the sea in May 1984. Thanks to his efforts over 30 years, the Sherman Tank Memorial Site was officially recognized by the US Congress and acknowledged with the addition of a bronze plaque.
An American woman, Laurie Bolton, became Honorary Director of Exercise Tiger Memorial Ltd. Her uncle Sgt, Louis A. Bolton, died during Exercise Tiger. The American interviewed Laurie at the 75th anniversary event in 2019 - you can read it here
The memorial event will be hosted by the Royal Tank Regiment Association, Plymouth Branch. All are welcome. 26 visitors from America, whose family members died in, or survived, the tragic D-Day dress rehearsal event, will attend. No survivor veterans will make the trip, due to their advanced age. Also in attendance will be: The Deputy Lieutenant of Devon; Local and County Council Leaders; Serving Officers and Crewmen from The Royal Tank Regiment; and representation from the US Military
Date: Sunday April 28, 2024, at 2 pm
Location: Sherman Tank Memorial Site, Torcross, Slapton Sands, South Devon, TQ7 2SE
